Necktie



June 10, 1941;

H. C. HALL NECKTIE Filed lay 3, 1940 .[nVenor: Harvey C. 174/1 Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED sTATss PATENT OFFICE NECKTIE Harvey O. Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application May 3, 1940, Serial No. 333,689 4 claims. (ci. 2-150) This invention relates to neckties of the preformed knot type and the principal object of the invention is to provide an improved form of construction in which the neckband portion of the tie may be easily adjusted and effectively locked within the knot structure in a manner which will not damage the fabric so that the life of the tie will be greatly enhanced. i

The principal feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of a hollow tubular structure within the knot portion of the tie in conjunction with a special spring-retaining member insertable and. removable therefrom, forming an anchoring means for one end of the neckband while presenting frictional clamping engagement with the other end portion of the neckband.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tie constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of Vthe V-shaped tubular core member for` the knot'. i Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view Vof the detachable spring element for retaining the neckband portion in co-operative relation to the knot portion of the tie.

Figure 4 is a mid-sectional view through the tubular structure of Figure 2 showing the springretaining element of Figure 3 inserted thereinto and illustrating in brokenlines its position when in co-operative clamping relation to the inserted portion of the neckband.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and also showing the tubular member enclosed within the fabric covering.

In my earlier Patent No. 2,103,456 dated December 28, 1937, there is disclosed a tie structure in which the knot portion embodies a tubular element of substantial V-shape having downwardly converging Channels, one of which receives a looking element anchored to one end of a neckband while the other channel receives the free end portion of the neckband in slicling adjustment, which adjustment was preserved by engagement with a projecting prong-like portion of the looking element inserted in the other channel.

While this type of tie has proven highly eificient in practice it is found that through constaut use the sharp engagement of the pointed or prong-like looking member with the fabric of the neckband has a tendency to tear or break down the fabric, thereby shortening the effective life of the tie, and the present invention has been devised to retain all the advantages associated with this type of construction while eliminating the objections noted and to furthermore provide for adjustment of the neckband after the looking member has been inserted with the minimum destructive action on the tie fabric.

Referring to the form of construction illustrated, the form or core about which the fabric knot I is built comprises a tubular member 2 of upwardly divergent form and formed of thin sheet metal or other desirable material.

The main characteristic of the element 2 is that it provides two internally arranged passages 3 and 4 separated at the upper end by downwardly converging walls 5 and 6 inserted between the opposite front and back Walls of the element 2, and these passages 3 and 4 converge downwardly to merge at the lower end of the unit.

One of the sloping edge walls of the element 2 is provided with a notch or opening 1 communicating with the passage 3 at a suitable distance below the upper edge.

A special spring-retaining element, shown in general at A in Figure 3, is adapted to be inserted into the passage 3 and to interlock with the notch or opening 'l and concurrently extend into register with the passage 4 as will hereinafter appear.

The retaining unit Ais here shown formed of a length of spring metal of double looped formation having a spring tongue portion 8. At the upper end of the tongue the metal strip is looped into an elongated eye formation S and the strip is notched at this region or reduced in width as indicated at IO and the metal strip is given a return bend to exted longitudinally of the tongue 8, and at a point above the level of the lower extremity of the tongue the metal strip is given a second return bend as indicated at I forming a spring-looking tongue |2 which extends upwardly in divergent relation to the intermediate portion |3.

The upper end of the looking tongue |2 is bent outwardly to provide locking Shoulders M and IE which are adapted to engage respectively the bottom and top edges of the notch or opening 'l When the retaining unit is inserted as indicated in Figure 4.

It will be noted that the lower end of the spring finger 8 curves divergently away from the adjacent portion l3 of the element A so that when the unit A is inserted in position the end extremity 8', which is preferably rounded to minimize any tearing action, approaches close to the sloping wall of the channel 4.

The main body portion Hi of the tie is an- ,Chored to the core unit 2 and the outer fabric covering i, which may be of any suitable construction and preferably padded, as indicated at I'l, Figure 5.

One end of the neckband portion |8 is connected by stitching or other suitable means to the elongated eye portion 9 of the retaining .element A, as indicated at |9, and the other end of the neckband is inserted downwardly through the passage 4.

In placing the tie in position the band is placed around the collar and the retaining member A is pressed into the passage 3 of the member 2 until the shouldered portion M springs outwardly into the opening 'l and the shoulder I4 engages the lower edge of said opening. This brings the spring tongue element 8 into pressure contact with the other end of the neckband within the passage 4, thereby placing the tongue 8 and the loop II under tension so that they assume a position as shown in broken lines in Figure 4.

It will thus be seen that the inserted portion of the neckband will be effectively clamped in a frictional manner Within the passage 4 and the final adjustment or act of tightening the band about the neck may be accomplished by simply drawing the end portion IB' of the neckband downwardly so that it slides readily past the clamping extremity 8' of the spring tongue 8 which, by reason of its clamping pressure and its upward divergent relation to the sloping wall of the passage 4, will effectively retain the neckband portion I 8' against withdrawal upwar'dly.

The retaining unit A will be effectively held against displacement from its proper looking position by reason of the double looking engagement eifected by the Shoulders Ill and [5 respectively, but when it is desired to remove the tie it is simply necessary to press the shouldered portions |4 and 15 inwardly by pressing on the fabric covering same, so that the shoulder 15 Will clear the upper edge of the opening 1, whereupon the anchored end i9 of the neckband may be quickiy detached, as represented in Figure 1.

The construction defined is such that the portion |8 of the neckband may be accurately and minutely adjusted to suit individual requirements Without involving any objectionable tearing action due to the pronounced resiliency of the clamping engagement effected by the retaining member and the absence of sharp edges or points v 1. A necktie having in combination a permanent tubular knot structure, a main body portion secured to said knot, a neckband portion slidably adjustable in said tubular knot, means for detachably anchoring one end of said neckband portion in said tubular knot, and means forming part of said anchoring means for presenting a resilient smooth clamping contact With the slidably adjusted portion of said neckband within the tubular knot structure to frictionally retain the same in adjusted relation to the knot structure, said anchoring means comprises a spring element of looped formation permanently secured vto one end of the neckband and having detachable locking engagement with said knot structure on insertion, said last-mentioned means comprising an integral spring clamping tongue curved downwardly and outwardly for surfaceclamping contact only with the slidably adjustable portion of the neckband.

' 2. A necktie having in combination, a permanent knot structure having a tubular core formed With downwardly converging passages, a main body portion secured to said permanent knot structure, a detachable neckband portion, and means for detachably anchoring one end of said neckband portion in one of said passages and slidably and resiliently clamping said neckband portion in the other of said passages, comprising a spring-clip element of double looped formation insertable into one of said passages and having means to interlock therewith and having a resilient finger extension curving toward the other passage and formed to present a smooth surface clamping contact with the slidably adjustable portion of said neckband.

3. A necktie as claimed in claim 2 in which the wall of the passage receiving said spring-clip member is provided with a notch or opening and the clip member is provided with a resilient tongue portion formed with spaced looking shoulders for engagement with the upper and lower extremities of said notch or opening to positively lock the clip unit against movement in either direction. v w

4. A necktie as'claimed in claim 2` in which said spring-clip element comprises a single length of spring metal looped intermediate of its length to provide an eye portion for attachment to the end of the neckband portion and being return-bent With the intermediate portion extending in downwardly divergent relation to lthe tie-clamping portion, said strip being looped backwardly to provide an upwardly diverging tongue portion formed to interlock with the Wall of the passage in which said clip unit is. inserted.

HARVEY C. HALL. 

